I came up with a unique way to pack mine and it has worked great for all of my pregnancies! I always packed mine early (around 36 weeks)so there would be no problem if baby decided to come before the due date. Along with my packed bags I put a small list of things to grab at the last minute, since some things, like my toothbrush, can’t hang out in the bag for an entire month. – This post contains affiliate links.

I have found that packing 2 or 3 different bags is the most convenient way of doing it. The three bags I packed are as follows

This way, you can sort things by when they will be used and it is easier to communicate to your husband where to find things that he would be looking for. So what goes in each bag? Let’s start with the first one you will need, the one for the delivery room.

In the L& D bag

Personal hospital gown – I brought my own gown to wear for my son’s birth and I loved it. It was so much cuter for all the pictures and much more comfortable.

Protein bars –The nurses are stingy with food during labor, and sometimes you just HAVE to eat. Lara bars are nice because they are filling. Just a couple bites can take the “edge” of your hunger. Your spouse or delivery coaches may need something to munch on as well, so having something on hand for them is nice as well.

Shirt, comfy pants and nursing bra – Sometimes you are able to change clothes before you switch rooms so having your clothes handy is always a plus!

A Book – If you labor stalls or you end up needing to be induced, it may get boring! Be prepared for stalls with some entertainment!

Phone chargers – You never know how long labor could last, make sure your chargers on hand so you can alert family members when your little one makes his or her debut!

Camera and camera charger – Even if you are not planning to take pictures during birth, you will still need a camera in the room for all the first moments with baby! If you have a nice smartphone you should be able to use that for photos BUT make sure there’s space on the phone so you don’t miss baby’s first few moments clearing off old pictures or apps. If you need a camera, this one is pretty neat because it will print off the photos immediately to give to visitors to take home. So fun! It’s also so nice if baby has to go to the NICU so mom can keep printed photos with her at all times in recovery.

Pillow – Comfort is key & hospital pillows just aren’t the same as the comfy ones from home.

Insurance information

Recovery bag

Lanolin – This is a nursing mama’s best friend. If you are planning on breastfeeding buy some Lanolin and bring it with you it’s an essential! The hospital frequently provides this for free, but it can also take them quite some time to get it to you, so I definitely suggest keeping it on hand.

Entertainment for your partner – Make sure to have extra books or ipad entertainment on hand in case labor stalls.

2+ pairs of pants – Postpartum bleeding is like the heaviest period of you life, it’s likely you will bleed onto at least one pair of pants, if not more, so be sure that you bring extras! Also, keep in mind that your belly will still be pretty big, even after delivery so make sure your pants are nice and soft and a few sizes bigger than those you usually wear. (I opt for Pajama pants two sizes larger than my non-pregnancy size).

DiaperBag

Keep it empty! – You don’t need to pack anything in the diaper bag but it will be full when you head home! The hospital sends you home with tons of paperwork, diapers and some baby first aid equipment, so it’s great to have an extra bag on hand to carry it all home.

If your due date is coming up, it’s time to start thinking about what to pack in your hospital bags. How many do you need, what should you bring and what an you leave at home. She covers all that and so much more!

Things you don’t need to bring

There are lots of hospital bag lists floating around, but last time around but I have found that a lot of the things that are on the lists are unnecessary, so here’s what I would leave home.

Pads – The hospital provided these and they were WAY better than what I could buy in the store anyway

Underwear – The hospital provides odd little mesh underwear, it’s strange but lets your downstairs area “breathe”. It also beats messing up a bunch of your underwear with the excessive bleeding.

Extra onesies – The hospital provided all kinds of clothes, diapers and other freebies for new babies. Unless you want baby to be in special clothes from home, you don’t need to bring anything aside from the going home outfit.

I’ve had 4 babies at three different hospitals. The towels the hospital provided were dinky, I’m glad I always brought my own from home, just be sure its an old one. Also the shirts the hospital provided were not very soft, they felt kind of scratchy like they had been washed in industrial cleaner too many times. I found some in the same style (snapping with fold over long sleeves) but with prints so the hospital wouldn’t mix them up with there white ones. That way I knew how they were washed and cared for etc. I also figured that the same kind of shirts would be easiest for the nurses.

Kid no 1 I packed *everything* the lists said, down to “several pairs of socks”. I was so dang hot that I didn’t even really want the gown on! By nos 4 and 5, the only thing I brought when in labor was the camera. Hospital even had toiletry kids standard in the room. Hubby brought going-home clothes when it was closer to when I’d need them; I kept a combo wall/car charger in my glove box anyway so just grabbed that on the way in and stuffed it in the camera bag. I will say the less you have with you, the less you have to keep track of if you get moved around.

Meg, I’ll add to your list chapstick, but that is in my purse anyways! New moms should know to ASK (and ask again) for anything they need – including snacks. I wouldn’t turn down a few comfort items from home, but babies just need boobs and diapers to get started! I do love that this list is separated into L&D, Recovery, and Baby!

I didn’t bring pads to the hospital and I wish I would have. I had to beg my nurses for more then 1 because apparently that’s all they are supposed to supply. So with baby #2 (due in February) I will defiantly be bringing pads and underwear. Snacks change of clothes going home out fit for baby and myself. Also forgot shampoo and a towel first time around so this time I’ll remember that as well :)